Guillermo, Abigail Jan B. - Written Work 1

1.    What do you know about the different Literary Periods in Philippine Literature? 

Each country has its history and literature. Throughout the years, the Philippines had different Literary Periods that have contributed to the country's literature. There are five (5) Literary Periods in Philippine Literature: Pre-Colonial Period, Spanish Colonization Period, American Colonial Period, Japanese Occupation Period, and Contemporary Period.

Before the Spaniards colonized the Philippines, our country had its unique literature. This period is called the Pre-Colonial Period. Philippine literature had four forms: Oral Literature, Folk Songs, Folk Tales, and Epics. The writing system used was also Baybayin, and the Filipinos wrote many pre-colonial literary pieces in Baybayin. Bugtong (or riddles in English) is a pre-colonial literary work. However, this period ended when the Spaniards occupied the Philippines. The Spanish Colonization Period started and changed the lives of the Filipinos and the country's literature. Spanish was the medium of communication, and literature was "religious" and "secular". Although this period ended after hundreds of years, another period started when the Americans colonized the Philippines. The American Colonial Period inspired many writers to use the English Language and imitate American Literature. Unfortunately, the Philippines gets colonized again, starting the Japanese Occupation Period. Although this period is the shortest, Philippine literature changed due to the influence of the Japanese. Filipinos started to write free and shorter verses, just like Japanese literature. Finally, the Philippines was free from colonizers, and the Contemporary Period in Philippine Literature began to. Filipinos continued to write different forms of literary pieces like poems, novels, short stories, and more using various languages we have absorbed throughout the years of colonization by other countries.

 

2.  What are the essential elements of the literary pieces under different periods of Philippine literature?

In literary pieces, there are essential elements that help the work be organized, understandable, and entertaining. There are six (6) essential elements that make up literary pieces: plot and structure, character, setting, conflict, theme, and point of view.

In literary pieces, the plot and structure of the work are essential because it acts like the whole foundation of the story. A strong plot and an organized structure make up an understandable, easy-to-follow literary work. Characters also play an essential role by representing the cast in the piece. Both the protagonist and antagonist play essential roles in each literary piece. It makes literary pieces more interesting and catches the readers' attention. The third element, the setting, makes the piece more relatable. The place and time when the events in the literary work occur can help project a certain mood of the scene. Next is conflict. It is a struggle that a character must overcome for the story to move forward. Next is the piece's theme: the author's message to the readers, the main idea, and the general truth. Lastly, the point of view shows how the work is narrated. The point of view can be in the first person, limited third person, or omniscient third person. Through this point of view, authors can express feelings, thoughts, experiences, and other aspects that happen in the characters' lives.

These elements are essential because it determines how well-written a literary piece is. Since literary pieces were commonly used as a tool in the past to tell others about one's experiences, struggles, and opinions, these elements serve as a guide for authors to write a work that is understandable and organized.